The 2021 Corn Belt 150 presented by Premier Chevy Dealers was the 14th stock car race of the 2021 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season and the inaugural running of the event, after Eldora Speedway's dirt race was moved to Knoxville Raceway. The race was held on Friday, July 9, 2021 in Knoxville, Iowa at Knoxville Raceway. The race was extended to 179 laps from the scheduled 150 laps due to numerous green-white-checker attempts. Austin Hill driving for Hattori Racing Enterprises would survive and win the event after dodging numerous wrecks and a wild ending to the event. Chandler Smith of Kyle Busch Motorsports and Grant Enfinger of ThorSport Racing would be able to come in 2nd and 3rd, respectively. Norm Benning would get his first Top 20 of the year, in a damaged truck finishing 19th.
The race was highly criticized by NASCAR fans and drivers. Drivers would report that other drivers had no respect for others on the track, contributing to the amount of wrecks during the race. Fans would criticize the way NASCAR handled the race, saying that NASCAR should not had raced on dirt due to the amount of wrecks that happened, and that the race was similar to a demolition derby.
The race was the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debuts for Morgan Alexander, Jessica Friesen, Parker Price-Miller, Devon Rouse and Donny Schatz.
Background
Entry list #DriverTeamMake1Hailie DeeganDavid Gilliland RacingFord2Sheldon CreedGMS RacingChevrolet02Michael Annett*Young's MotorsportsChevrolet3Parker Price-MillerJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet4John Hunter NemechekKyle Busch MotorsportsToyota04Chase BriscoeRoper RacingFord6Norm BenningNorm Benning RacingChevrolet9Codie RohrbaughCR7 MotorsportsChevrolet10Jennifer Jo CobbJennifer Jo Cobb RacingChevrolet12Tate FoglemanYoung's MotorsportsChevrolet13Johnny SauterThorSport RacingToyota15Tanner GrayDavid Gilliland RacingFord16Austin HillHattori Racing EnterprisesToyota17Donny SchatzDavid Gilliland RacingFord18Chandler SmithKyle Busch MotorsportsToyota19Derek KrausMcAnally–Hilgemann RacingToyota20Kyle StricklerYoung's MotorsportsChevrolet21Zane SmithGMS RacingChevrolet22Austin Wayne SelfAM RacingChevrolet23Chase PurdyGMS RacingChevrolet24Jack WoodGMS RacingChevrolet25Josh BerryRackley W.A.R.Chevrolet26Tyler AnkrumGMS RacingChevrolet30Danny BohnOn Point MotorsportsToyota33Devon RouseReaume Brothers RacingChevrolet34Jake GriffinReaume Brothers RacingChevrolet37Brett MoffittAM RacingChevrolet38Todd GillilandFront Row MotorsportsFord40Ryan TruexNiece MotorsportsChevrolet41Cody EricksonCram Racing EnterprisesChevrolet42Carson HocevarNiece MotorsportsChevrolet44Morgan AlexanderNiece MotorsportsChevrolet45Jett NolandNiece MotorsportsChevrolet49Andrew GordonCMI MotorsportsToyota51Brian BrownKyle Busch MotorsportsToyota52Stewart FriesenHalmar Friesen RacingToyota62Jessica FriesenHalmar Friesen RacingToyota88Matt CraftonThorSport RacingToyota98Grant EnfingerThorSport RacingToyota99Ben RhodesThorSport RacingToyota Official entry list *Driver would change to Chris Windom, due to a leg injury Michael Annett had suffered.
Qualifying Qualifying was set by heats, and a points system. There were 4 heats of 10 cars. As only 40 trucks entered the race, no drivers would not qualify. The way drivers would get their positions worked like this: Drivers would get 10 points for 1st, 9 points for 2nd, etc. Additionally, for every car passed, drivers would get an additional point for every car passed. No negative points were given. If a driver ended behind where they started, they would just get no passing points. The points would not be good for the regular season.
Derek Kraus of McAnally–Hilgemann Racing would get the most points and therefore take the pole position.
Heat #1 FinSt#DriverTeamMakePts1125Josh BerryRackley W.A.R.Chevrolet10243Parker Price-MillerJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet11381Hailie DeeganDavid Gilliland RacingFord134718Chandler SmithKyle Busch MotorsportsToyota105222Austin Wayne SelfAM RacingChevrolet66615Tanner GrayDavid Gilliland RacingFord57941Cody EricksonCram Racing EnterprisesChevrolet681012Tate FoglemanYoung's MotorsportsChevrolet59545Jett NolandNiece MotorsportsChevrolet210333Devon RouseReaume Brothers RacingChevrolet1
Heat #2 FinSt#DriverTeamMakePts1220Kyle StricklerYoung's MotorsportsChevrolet112121Zane SmithGMS RacingChevrolet93588Matt CraftonThorSport RacingToyota1041038Todd GillilandFront Row MotorsportsFord135399Ben RhodesThorSport RacingToyota66717Donny SchatzDavid Gilliland RacingFord67423Chase PurdyGMS RacingChevrolet48640Ryan TruexNiece MotorsportsChevrolet39934Jake GriffinReaume Brothers RacingChevrolet21089Codie RohrbaughCR7 MotorsportsChevrolet1
Heat #3 FinSt#DriverTeamMakePts1526Tyler AnkrumGMS RacingChevrolet1421019Derek KrausMcAnally–Hilgemann RacingToyota173351Brian BrownKyle Busch MotorsportsToyota84813Johnny SauterThorSport RacingToyota115224Jack WoodGMS RacingChevrolet66762Jessica FriesenHalmar Friesen RacingToyota67930Danny BohnOn Point MotorsportsToyota68102Chris WindomYoung's MotorsportsChevrolet39644Morgan AlexanderNiece MotorsportsChevrolet21044John Hunter NemechekKyle Busch MotorsportsToyota1
Heat #4 FinSt#DriverTeamMakePts1242Carson HocevarNiece MotorsportsChevrolet112304Chase BriscoeRoper RacingFord103137Brett MoffittAM RacingChevrolet84616Austin HillHattori Racing EnterprisesToyota10572Sheldon CreedGMS RacingChevrolet86598Grant EnfingerThorSport RacingToyota57952Stewart FriesenHalmar Friesen RacingToyota681049Andrew GordonCMI MotorsportsToyota5946Norm BenningNorm Benning RacingChevrolet210810Jennifer Jo CobbJennifer Jo Cobb RacingChevrolet1
Starting lineup Pos.#DriverTeamMake119Derek KrausMcAnally–Hilgemann RacingToyota226Tyler AnkrumGMS RacingChevrolet338Todd GillilandFront Row MotorsportsFord41Hailie DeeganDavid Gilliland RacingFord542Carson HocevarNiece MotorsportsChevrolet613Johnny SauterThorSport RacingToyota73Parker Price-MillerJordan Anderson RacingChevrolet820Kyle StricklerYoung's MotorsportsChevrolet988Matt CraftonThorSport RacingToyota1018Chandler SmithKyle Busch MotorsportsToyota1125Josh BerryRackley W.A.R.Chevrolet1204Chase BriscoeRoper RacingFord1316Austin HillHattori Racing EnterprisesToyota1421Zane SmithGMS RacingChevrolet1551Brian BrownKyle Busch MotorsportsToyota162Sheldon CreedGMS RacingChevrolet1737Brett MoffittAM RacingChevrolet1899Ben RhodesThorSport RacingToyota1952Stewart FriesenHalmar Friesen RacingToyota2024Jack WoodGMS RacingChevrolet2122Austin Wayne SelfAM RacingChevrolet2217Donny SchatzDavid Gilliland RacingFord2330Danny BohnOn Point MotorsportsToyota2441Cody EricksonCram Racing EnterprisesChevrolet2562Jessica FriesenHalmar Friesen RacingToyota2698Grant EnfingerThorSport RacingToyota2715Tanner GrayDavid Gilliland RacingFord2812Tate FoglemanYoung's MotorsportsChevrolet2949Andrew GordonCMI MotorsportsToyota3023Chase PurdyGMS RacingChevrolet3140Ryan TruexNiece MotorsportsChevrolet3202Chris WindomYoung's MotorsportsChevrolet3345Jett NolandNiece MotorsportsChevrolet3434Jake GriffinReaume Brothers RacingChevrolet3544Morgan AlexanderNiece MotorsportsChevrolet366Norm BenningNorm Benning RacingChevrolet374John Hunter NemechekKyle Busch MotorsportsToyota389Codie RohrbaughCR7 MotorsportsChevrolet3933Devon RouseReaume Brothers RacingChevrolet4010Jennifer Jo CobbJennifer Jo Cobb RacingChevrolet Official starting lineup
Race
Post-race driver comments Many drivers and teams seemed displeased and angry post-race. Sheldon Creed, involved in the big one advocated for the removal of Trucks at Knoxville said "We don't belong here. We should be down at Iowa Speedway where these trucks are made for." Carson Hocevar commented that "I think everyone from the dirt community is just going to sit there, point at us, and laugh," criticizing the amount of chaos that happened. Kyle Strickler would comment on the seeming lack of respect on track: "The total lack of respect for other drivers and other drivers' equipment last night absolutely blew my mind. I think all the spoiled ass rich punk kids should be in the shop first thing on Monday morning so they can fix all this shit they tore up. Maybe then they'll think twice about blasting people out of the way when they realize how much it takes to make it to the race track every weekend." This was a comment that many drivers agreed with, including Hocevar and Nemechek.
Some drivers were angry at McAnally–Hilgemann Racing driver Derek Kraus, with both Grant Enfinger and Tyler Ankrum spinning Kraus after the race after wrecking people for position. Austin Wayne Self said "In my opinion, I knew the race was aggressive but there was a couple of guys out there and [Derek Kraus] was definitely one that was very disrespectful to people and wasn't really racing. I mean, he was just pushing people out of the way and wrecking people and tearing stuff up."
Chandler Smith, who had led a race-high 71 laps, had said "I can’t catch a break, it feels like. I get so close to these wins — and something happens. Or we have a really good day and something happens. (Friday), we had a really solid day. ... I really thought that was going to be ours there, but it is what it is I guess.”
Grant Enfinger would seem to forgive the rough driving and wrecks, as drivers were desperate for a win and will do anything to win, stating "There's no penalty for rough driving when we're putting all this on 60-70 mph short track to be honest."
Donny Schatz, making his debut in NASCAR, seemed flabbergasted at the amount of wrecks and torn-up cars, saying that "A lot of stuff got tore up and I don’t know if that’s normal or not around here, but it sure seems like it based on what I heard in the infield care center."
Austin Hill seemed the only one coming back home happy, with him taking the victory. Hill had this to say: "Winning at a place like Knoxville definitely puts your name on the map. I’m not a dirt guy — so I don’t know a ton about dirt racing — but I know about Knoxville and the history here. It’s a cool place to win at, for sure. This builds our confidence, for sure, and there’s no telling how many races we can win going forward.”
Race results Stage 1 Laps: 40 Fin.#DriverTeamMakePts119Derek KrausMcAnally–Hilgemann RacingToyota10238Todd GillilandFront Row MotorsportsFord9325Josh BerryRackley W.A.R.Chevrolet0442Carson HocevarNiece MotorsportsChevrolet7526Tyler AnkrumGMS RacingChevrolet662Sheldon CreedGMS RacingChevrolet5752Stewart FriesenHalmar Friesen RacingToyota4837Brett MoffittAM RacingChevrolet0918Chandler SmithKyle Busch MotorsportsToyota2101Austin HillHattori Racing EnterprisesToyota1 Stage 2 Laps: 40 Fin.#DriverTeamMakePts119Derek KrausMcAnally–Hilgemann RacingToyota10242Carson HocevarNiece MotorsportsChevrolet9338Todd GillilandFront Row MotorsportsFord8488Matt CraftonThorSport RacingToyota7598Grant EnfingerThorSport RacingToyota6637Brett MoffittAM RacingChevrolet074John Hunter NemechekKyle Busch MotorsportsToyota4825Josh BerryRackley W.A.R.Chevrolet0917Donny SchatzDavid Gilliland RacingFord21099Ben RhodesThorSport RacingToyota1 Stage 3 Laps: 99